Anchor for lower dentures



T. RGXBURY ANCHOR FOR LOWER DENTURES Aug. 12, wma

Filed Aug l. 1923 IN VE N TOR THEQDozeg; EOXBMQY WITNESSES M W W ATTORNE YS Patented Aug. 12, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFlCE.

THEO'DQRE BOXBURY, 015 BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

' ANCHOR ron LOWER neurones.

Application filed Auguste, 1923. Serial No. 655,597.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Tnnonouu Roxeunr, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Brooklyn, in thecounty of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Anchors for Lower Dentures, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

The present invention relates to anchors for dentures, and moreparticularly to anchors for holding the lower denture in operativeposition in .the mouth by means causing the anchors to cling to the sidewalls thereof, thereby preventingrelative movement of the denture withrespect to the lower jaw, but permitting freedom of movement of the sameconjointlywith the movement of the lower jaw.

It is a habit with many people when eating to bite on theforwardincisors instead of grinding the food by means of the molars at thesides. This has a tendency of exerting a downward pressure on theforward portion of the denture causing it to tilt at the rearandproducing an alternate rising and falling of the rearward portion of thedenture or a. rocking of the denture during the eating process. Withthis in mind. an object of the present invention is to produce an anchorfor lower dentures which, while I at all times permitting the denture tomove freely with the movement of the lower jaw, shall nevertheless holdthe denture sufliciently rigid to prevent rocking or tilting.

Another object in view is to provide an articulated anchor which permitsa relatively large freedom of movement of the denture with the lowerjaw, with little or no movement of the anchor, and which in addition isflexible laterally permitting a slight lateral movement of the dentureand allowing it to be readily positioned in the mouth or removedtherefrom without discomfort or injury to the tissues of the mouth.

Still another object in view is the provis1on of an anchor adapted to besecured one to each side portion of the denture having recessed membersfor engaging the recess or hollow in the side wall of the. mouth at therear of the cartilaginous ridge supporting the denture, the saidrecessed members being adapted to cling to the side walls of the mouthby suction means for the purpose of holding the denture against relativemovement with respecfito the lower jaw.

A further object in view is the provision of means for holding the saidrecessed members in normal operative position against the sidewalls ofthe mouth.

The present invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich Fig 1 is a perspective view showing a portion of a lower jawsupporting a denture and a pair of anchors applied to the denture forholding the same in operative position thereon.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a portion of the anchor.

Fig. 4 is a top plan View of Fig. 3 illus trating a modified form ofanchor.

Fig. 5 is a similar view of'Fig. 3 showing another modified form ofanchor.

Referring to the drawings illustrating the invention, 1 indicates ananchor for a lower 1 denture comprising'a hard rubber block 2, to whichis pivotally mounted one end of a spring bar 3 on a pivot pin 4. Theopposite end of the bar 3 carries a member 5 recessed at (i to form avacuum cup 7. The recessed member 5 is formed of rubber compositionhaving suflicient flexibility for the vacuum cup 7 to readily form asuction with a side wall of the mouth for the purpose of holding theanchor in a relatively fixed position. When in operative position on thedenture, the spring bar 3 operates to hold the vacuum cup 7 in contactwith the side wall of the mouth. The block 2 is adapted to be vulcanizedto the denture 8 as at 9, but may be secured thereto by gold rivets orother preferred means.

As shown in Figure 1, the denture 8 comprising a set of false teeth forthe lower jaw 10, is provided with a pair of the anchors 1 secured oneto each side portion 11 thereof, one anchor being shown in full view,while a portion only of the other anchor is shown. The member 5, asshown in Figure 1, engages the side wall of the mouth in the hollow 12at the rear of the cartilaginous ridge supporting the denture, therebyholding the denture against relative movement with respect to the lowerjaw.

The spring bar 8 being flexible laterally permits a slight lateralmovement of the denture and at the same time allows the denture to bepositioned in the mouth or re moved therefrom without discomfort orinjury to the tissues of the mouth. The movethe pin 4, therebypermitting the denture to move in areciprocatingmanner with the lowerjaw without relative ncrement of the anchor. Likewise in the modified'form' shown in Figure 4t, the bar 3 is provided with a transverse slot145. The pin 4 moving freely in the slot 14- permitsa short verticalmovement of the rearward portion of the denture,, thereby preventing thedenture binding the jaw of individuals accustomed to opentheirunouthwider than others.

It will be understood that the recessed member 5 clinging by suction tothe side walls of the mouth as at -12',-firn"1ly holds the dentureagainst rocking tiltingon the lower-jaw 10. At the same time theflexibility of the bar 3 permits the denture a slightlateral movement,and being articulatively' connected to the denture permits the dentureto move freely with every movement of the lower jaw.

Having described my invention, I now claim:

1. A denture provided with a bar mem ber projecting rearwardly from oneside portion thereof,rsaid member having a recessed member securedthereto remote from the denture adapted to cling by suction to a sidewall of the mouth.

2. An anchorfor lower dentures comprising a recessed member adapted tocling by suction to a side wall of the mouth. a spring bar secured tosaid recessed member operating to hold said member-in contact with thesaid side wall, and means articulativelyconnecting said bar to thedenture;

3. The combination, with a lower denture; of a pair of anchorspivot-ally secured thereto, one on each side portionthereof.

each comprising a bar member projecting. rearwardlyof the denture, and acup-shaped member secured to the free end of said bar.

4:. The combination. with a lower denture of a pair of anchors pivotallysecured thereto, one on each side portion thereof. each comprising a barmember provided with an aperture at its one end for pivotalengagementwith the denture. and a suction member at the other end for engagementwith the side wall of the mouth;

THEODORE ROXBURY.

